Grace Baptist Church was formally organized on March 4, 1956, but its roots go back to the late 1940’s. Seymour Johnson War Housing Project permitted a group of people to use its community building in which to hold their church services. This group later became known as Johnson Homes Community Church. P.D. Buck, founder of this church, worked on a mail train during the week, and served as their pastor. As the attendance grew, they were also given permission to use vacant apartments nearby as Sunday school rooms.

In 1955, they began meeting at Seymour Funeral home, and later rented a store building on Wayne Memorial Drive for their services. At this time the church was organized and chartered as “Grace Missionary Baptist Church” and called Mr. Buck as their Pastor. Several years later, Mr. Buck felt a full-time pastor was needed and the church called Hyman Vann as their pastor. Mr. Buck continued to teach Sunday School classes for some time.

Later, the church purchased land on Royall Avenue and soon started work on a building. The women worked during the day, getting things ready, and the men worked in the evening after their regular jobs, and soon the church was finished. Over the years several additions were added to that first building, not the least of which is our present auditorium, which was constructed over 45 years ago. The original auditorium now serves as our fellowship hall. A Sunday School/administration wing was later added.

The Lord has used several men to lead and guide the ministries of Grace Baptist Church over the past many years. Most recently, Mr. James Frasher served as Pastor of Grace Baptist. Upon his retirement in 2015, Pastor Jason Stoeber was called to be the new Pastor. Pastor Stoeber along with these other Godly men have spent a total of 60 years being used by God to mold Grace into what it is today. Should the Lord tarry, the prayer and desire of our present assembly is that we, along with our Pastor and all those that may follow him, continue to be as faithful and unfaltering in His service as those who preceded us.